Begin designing with Fair Isle motifs by starting with a hat! A basic hat pattern is offered with multiple options for you to pick and choose to make it your very own. Experiment with color! Go wild and even invent your own pattern motifs—MJ will show you how! Lots of individual attention with group participation encouraged.

Technique Requirements: Knit/purl; cast on/bind off; increase/decrease; working in the round; chart reading; have knit a few accessories; easy colorwork

Homework:

Choose which size you’d like to work on. Our target gauge is 5 stitches per inch, but we’re really making a sample shaped like a hat, and the size your resulting hat is bound to fit someone you know, or you can donate it to a worthy charity. For our class, fit is less important than what we are learning. Sizes: S (M, L) = 16 (19, 22) inches. With color of your choice, cast on 72 (88, 104) stitches, join for working in the round taking care not to twist. Knit 1 P1 rib for one round.

Supplies to Bring:

3–8 colors of worsted weight yarn, 100–150 yd each of two high contrast colors and 25–50 yd of additional colors, 16" circular needles in US 6/4mm and US 7/4.5mm, one set US 7/4.5mm dpns or your preferred needles for working small diameter pieces in the round; tapestry needle, stitch markers, calculator, graph paper and a pencil for taking notes. Colored pencils if desired.